Census: Metro Atlanta’s population approaches 5.8 million

Thousands of people are moving to metro Atlanta from around the country, increasing the region’s population to nearly 5.8 million, according to the U.S. Census.

Metro Atlanta gained the fourth-most residents in the nation last year, with 90,650 additional people making the area their home.

The Atlanta area is the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country. The region grew by 1.6 percent from 2015 to 2016, boosting its population to 5,789,700.

Many people came to Atlanta for jobs, especially in its suburbs. The sharpest population increases were in Forsyth, Cherokee and Paulding counties.

The region added 77,000 jobs last year, the third-highest total among the nation’s 12 largest metro areas last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Atlanta Regional Commission. The 29-county Atlanta area trailed only Dallas and Phoenix.

Overall, the Dallas-Fort Worth area saw the nation’s biggest population increase, adding 143,435 residents, according to the Census.

Video: Top reasons people are moving to Atlanta